Peck History: 1893-2006
In 1893, Mrs. Caroline Johnson Cauldwell opened a school at her home on 22 Franklin Place and asked Christine Sutphen to teach. She named it Miss Sutphen’s School which opened with only six students. By 1916, there were nine faculty members and more than 100 students. It was one of the largest and best known private elementary schools in Morristown.
In June, 1917, Miss Sutphen retired and Mr. Lorraine T. Peck became her successor. Before coming to Miss Sutphen’s School, Mr. Peck taught at Morris Academy from 1903-1917.
In 1918, the School changed its name to The Peck School. Although it remained at 22 Franklin Place, it added a building to the existing school at 41 Franklin Street.
In 1920, Mr. Peck bought property at 11 Elm Street from the estate of Mrs. Josephine C. Tainter. The existing structure was remodeled and a large rear wing was added. In September of that year, The Peck School settled into its new home and remained there until 1944.
Mr. Peck retired in June, 1944. Mr. Peck presented the School to the parents of students then enrolled, and permitted the School to lease 11 Elm Street until a new property could be acquired. Peck was transformed into a nonprofit corporation, composed of all parents and guardians of children enrolled in the school and the first Board of Trustees - Mahlon Pitney, Serena Savage, Frances Nettleton, Thomas Maytham, Alys Olney and Josephine Lloyd - took office. The board’s first action was to elect Mr. Pitney president. Soon, numerous parent committees were formed, under the trustees’ auspices, to oversee virtually every facet of school life - finances, academics, student activities, transportation, planning, and more.
In June, 1944, Mr. W. Tracy Scudder became the new headmaster. In his first year, Mr. Scudder expanded the boys’ and girls’ sports schedules and initiated the student news and literary paper, “The Woodpecker.” In 1946, Mr. Scudder left Peck.
The Search Committee chose Mr. Philip Hesseltine as Peck’s new head. The parent body identified several priorities and the most pressing need was finding a larger schoolhouse. The 1946-47 enrollment of 171 was “crowding the school to capacity.” By February, 1947, the board had begun planning an Endowment Campaign, to be chaired by Trustee Robert G. Fairburn, and had designated Vice President Worrall F. Mountain, Jr. as the school’s negotiator and legal counsel in matters connected with “the housing situation.” In September, the trustees made history by passing a resolution “committing and obligating the School to buy the Claflin property on South Street at $50,000 plus the usual and incidental costs of acquisition.”
The Building Fund Drive began to roll, and, as pledges were being made, Campaign Chairman Fairburn gave the School an interest-free loan, so the purchase could proceed before the pledges were paid. On September 30, 1947, The Peck School acquired Mrs. Claflin’s mansion - which her late husband had named “Lindenwold” - and 9.2 acres of property. That very day, the kindergarten moved in. The rest of the school remained at Elm Street for one year, visiting the South Street mansion for a Christmas carol sing, and returning in June for graduation exercises.
In September, 1948, the remainder of the school moved into Lindenwold, after alterations to the building took place at the cost of almost $16,000. There were 189 students enrolled. The Elm Street building was shortly thereafter torn down to make way for a Grand Union Supermarket.
Many Peck traditions have their roots in the Hesseltine years (1946-1954): the Downy-Redhead competition began in 1951 led by Taz Brower; a school motto, “Disciplina ad Vivendum,” a school seal was designed; blue and white became the official school colors; beginning in 1947, Peck graduates were awarded diplomas for the first time; the Peck Loyalty Prize was established in Mr. Peck’s honor; a Peck Summer Camp was held; and the Mother’s Association was established in May, 1950. The Association’s first president was Mrs. Elizabeth McAlpin Froment ‘26.
Mr. Hesseltine retired in June, 1954. On April 30, 1954, in a letter signed by President Andrew K. Marchwald, the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Archer Harman Jr., as Peck’s new headmaster. During Archer’s tenure, parent-teacher conferences became routine, and Parents’ Visiting Day was an annual event. Another family occasion was the annual Peck Fair in May. In 1956, Mr. Harman initiated the Student Council. An Alumni Association was created in 1957, with Allan H. McAlpin, Jr. ’28 as its first president, and the first parent/alumni newsletter, “The Peck School News,” was published.
The Building Fund, started in 1955 to finance the gym and kitchen increased its goal from the original $75,000 to $115,000 to pay for the new heating system in Lindenwold (the three aging coal furnaces were replaced by an oil burner and an improved circulation system.) The gymnasium-auditorium, completed in 1956, was designed by Morristown architect James S. Jones, and built by contractor John Terry of Bernardsville. Board President Esty Stowell guided the School through this successful fundraiser.
The following summer (1957), the purchase of two lots of property which the trustees felt obliged to acquire, became another major capital expenditure. The long, narrow lots, fronting on South Street, were immediately on each side of school property. The Board of Trustees bought the property for $25,000. The purchase was financed by a mortgage, which was gradually phased out, through contributions to a Property Fund.
In the fall of 1958, a new music room, the Oliver Room, was added to the gymnasium-auditorium building. In 1984, this room was transformed into a part of the new kitchen and dining room.
During the 1956-57 school year, student enrollment exceeded 200 for the first time in the School’s history. After much debate, the board decided to have two sections per grade (instead of the original 1 section) and beginning in 1959-60 school year, there were two sections of fourth and fifth graders. With so many families applying to the School in 1960, it was generally agreed that the two-section program should continue, and the board set to work on yet another capital building program - the construction of a new building of four classrooms (the original wing of the present Lower School building) to accommodate the additional class sections.
Having initiated an Annual Giving program during 1959, the board had already collected $20,000 of the $80,000 needed to complete the new building, driveway, and parking area. The 1960 Annual Giving drive raised an additional $41,000, and several fundraisers helped further to defray the costs. The new classroom building, ready for the opening of school in September, 1960, became home to grades two, three, and four.
Mr. Archer Harman left in June, 1961 to be headmaster of St. George’s School, in Newport, Rhode Island. Mr. Thomas M. Green, III came to Peck in 1961 from Greenwich Country Day School, where he was assistant headmaster and head of the middle school.
Mr. Green introduced the “black boxes” (a collection of each child’s work and report card for each marking period) and “bound books,” (a selection of work representing an entire year and presented to each student in June.) A new category on student report cards - “Consideration of Others” – was also was introduced by Mr. Green.
Another lasting tradition inaugurated by Mr. Green was the Christmas Sing, performed during the school day until 1970, when an evening performance was added.
Mr. Green had a series of goals for Peck that he and the Board of Trustees had formulated. Among those were: increasing the number of classrooms to accommodate the expansion to two sections per grade throughout the school (kindergarten through third grade still had only one section each); improving the facilities for art, woodworking, music, sports lockers and storage; and expanding the library. This was the kickoff of a $200,000 development program that would continue through 1965. With Robert M. Gardiner chairing the Capital Funds Campaign, the four-year Development Program produced a series of exciting additions to school facilities.
- In June, 1962, ground was broken adjacent to the gymnasium for a locker room, athletic office, store room and a new Oliver Room of sufficient size for morning assemblies, music classes and lectures.
- In July, 1963, the second stage of the Program began. Enlargement of creative facilities (the basement of Lindenwold was transformed into an art room) was completed by September.
- In July, 1964, on the north end of the lower school building, a wing containing a conference room, six classrooms, and a science auditorium was under construction.
- In July, 1965, the final stage of the Development Program, the library, began. Two rooms on the north side of Lindenwold adjacent to the existing library were altered, making a new space three times the size of the present one.
The start of the literary magazine, “The Blue and White,” and (later named “Spectrum”); the reappearance of a student newspaper, renamed “The Newspecker”; the rescheduling of Parents’ Visiting Day, formerly in February, to coincide with Election Day; and the introduction of upper school girls’ uniforms were some of the many highlights of Mr. Green’s years at Peck.
Two student activities began in 1967: the first eighth grade trip to Washington, DC and the first issue of “The Linden,” both underwritten by the Mothers’ Association. In 1967, the Mothers’ Association also sponsored the first Peck School Art Show.
In 1970, the Field House was built. The old barn was torn down because it was no longer adequate to house athletic facilities.
With the construction of Route 287, it became certain that the state would require a portion of Peck’s property. In return for the sale of two parcels of peripheral school property, Peck net receipts were approximately $75,000. The “Highway Funds,” as they were initially called, gave the School the opportunity to establish an endowment, and the Trustees decided to designate the entire amount as an Endowment Fund. An additional fund, established in October, 1969, by the gift of a single anonymous donor, was a Scholarship Fund.
In June, 1977, Mr. Green retired after sixteen years, and Mr. Rudolph H. Deetjen Jr. became the next headmaster. He served Greenwich Country Day School as Head of the Middle School for twelve years and Headmaster of the Brookside School and Montclair Kimberley Academy before arriving at Peck.
The publication of a quarterly newspaper (originally called “sPEcks,” and later “Great ExPECKtations”) was launched by Mr. Deetjen. He also involved the students in community service projects. November, 1977 marked the first annual Thanksgiving food drive for the Neighborhood House.
In December, 1978, senior citizens visited Peck for the first annual RSVP Christmas Sing and a luncheon hosted by the eighth grade.
The Outdoor Education Program began in 1978-79 with sixth, seventh, and eighth grade Challenge Days.
“Family Life” program became an official part of the school curriculum. In 1979, Friday afternoon “mini courses” were initiated in the Upper School.
“In Pursuit of Excellence: A Program for the Eighties,” written by Development Chairman John F. Fritts ’48 in collaboration with Board President Betsy Shirley Michel ’55, Headmaster Deetjen, Campaign Co-Chairs Edward J. Foley, III and Noel K. Foley, and others was a statement that it was time to expand because enrollment remained at around 300. Classes were full and buildings at peak use. The campaign to raise $1.8 million officially began in December, 1982. Groundbreaking took place in November, 1983. The “Bridge” and fine arts wing were ready for school in September, 1984. November, 1984, Dedication of the Alys Olney Dining Room and Thomas Green Music Room took place.
One major new arrival at Peck in the early 1980’s was the computer. Upon the completion of the “Bridge” and fine arts wing in 1984, space became available to offer smaller-group opportunities in foreign languages, computers, and woodworking as well.
The first annual Upper and Lower School Grandparents' Day was held in May, 1983.
In September, 1986—thirty six years after its founding—the Mothers’ Association became the Parents’ Association, because of ongoing interest by the fathers to participate as volunteers.
Peck celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 1993, and the “Foundations for the Future” Campaign began. Led by trustees Darby Scott and Barbara Saypol along with Board President Barbara Caspersen, the campaign raised $5.5 million to provide improvements to roadways and parking, the addition of a new maintenance building, and two new academic buildings for the kindergarten and the seventh and eighth grades. Completed in 1993, The Deetjen Kindergarten was funded by the Ross family as well as parents, friends, and alumni. In 1995, the Caspersen-Tomlinson Upper School was finished.
In 1995, Peck adopted a new strategic plan and a new campaign, Challenge 2000, began. Challenge 2000 funded the expansion and renovation of the existing lower school. In 1998, The F.M. Kirby Family Lower School was completed thanks to the generosity of Kirby Family, parents, and trustees. Celebrate Lindenwold helped offset costs to refurbish the Lindenwold mansion both inside and out. Today the mansion houses the Administrative offices. Funds raised in a mini Technology Campaign helped jump start the implementation of the All-School Technology Plan, which made Peck a role model for integrating computers and laptops into the curriculum at the elementary level.
The next strategic plan was adopted in 2000. Peck received its re-accreditation by Middle States and NJAIS. In 2002, a Facilities Master Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees. In 2003, The Campaign for Peck began and raised $15.5 million to build a new 35,000 square foot Academic Building with a state-of-the-art Library and a new 32,000 square foot Athletic Facility. Construction began on both buildings in the summer of 2005. The EH Building was ready for classes on the first day of school in September 2006. The Athletic Facility opened in January 2007.
A new strategic plan will be adopted in 2007.
